Free and impactful: 4 email marketing tools that bloggers are looking for

Even in today’s world, email marketing continues to be one of the most effective and reliable ways to connect with your audience. If you are a startup or an entrepreneur or especially a blogger, email marketing is a good tool for personalized reach. Mailchimp, a platform created for email marketing 24 years ago has limitations on its free plan that can feel restrictive.

Luckily, there are other tools out there that offer steady automation, great customization, and thorough analytics – sparing us the Mailchimp headaches. Whether your business needs to send weekly newsletters, launch promotions, or simply stay in touch with the audiences, these free alternatives can help you do just that without having to spend an arm and leg.

We have rounded up the top 4 Mailchimp alternatives bloggers should definitely consider, along with an efficient, all-in-one design and email tool that just might become your favorite.

1. MailerLite – Great for minimalists!

MailerLite is a lightweight yet powerful email marketing platform that focuses on simplicity despite the fact that the interface is intuitive, offers automations all through the workflows, customizable templates, and a reliable drag-and-drop editor which is perfect if you don’t want to get overwhelmed by an array of features you won’t even use. If the frequency of your content  is moderate and you are looking for decent automation and good functionality over frills, MailerLite offers solid value.

• Best for: Beginners who want basic automation and clean interfaces
• Free plan includes 1,000 subscribers and 12,000 emails/month

Pros:

• Free automation
• Mobile-friendly email templates
• Clean and organized dashboard
• A builder on the landing page

Cons:

• Limited template variety
• Just like any other platform, advanced features require a paid plan

2. ConvertKit

ConvertKit is an email marketing platform built just for content creators as they can quickly tag subscribers based on interests or behaviors (like which links they click or which lead magnets they download) and then use those tags to build smart sales funnels. The landing page is very warm and welcoming and it offers features like visual automations, email sequences, broadcasts, and subscriber segmentation. With ConvertKit, it is easy to deliver lead magnets (eBooks, guides or checklists) automatically and assist your audience with relevant content tailored to their needs.

ConvertKit also includes templates for launching new products, hosting webinars, or running evergreen funnels which in turn build trust, nurture leads and drive sales. All of this makes it simple to ensure conversion and move subscribers toward your paid offers.

• Best for: Bloggers who are looking to grow their contact lists with lead magnets
• Free plan includes: 1,000 subscribers along with unlimited emails

Pros:

• Simple list segmentation
• Clean visual automation builder
• Great for creating signup forms

Cons:

• Limited design customization on free plan
• Does not offer built-in email templates unless you upgrade to the paid version

3. Brevo (formerly known as Sendinblue)

If you are looking to move beyond just sending newsletters or updates and actually want to build real customer journeys, Brevo is worth a try.

Brevo is a platform that offers CRM features such as contact management, lead management, sales automation, email tracking, reporting and analytics, and powerful automation, even in the free version. With Brevo, you can get access to email templates, SMS marketing, and detailed reports which are useful if the target audience is transforming their blogs into a business.

• Best for: Bloggers who are looking for efficient and advanced automation but on a budget
• Free plan includes: Unlimited contacts, 300 emails/day

Pros:

• Advanced and efficient automation workflows
• SMS and email marketing combined in one platform
• Integrated CRM tools – in turn offering good contact management, lead management, sales automation

Cons:

• Daily sending limit can be restrictive
• Interface can feel old fashioned, outdated and unnecessarily heavy  at times

4. PosterMyWall

If you are looking to create and send beautiful and effective emails in one go, without having to switch tabs, PosterMyWall is the smartest choice as it just might be the answer to most of your email marketing problems. It is not a traditional email marketing platform, in fact it is a full creative suite that includes an intuitive email campaign tool with the biggest advantage being not having to switch between different apps for designing visuals, writing content, and sending out these campaigns. You can do it all in one place, on one platform, as PosterMyWall offers efficient integration.

• Best for: Bloggers who need beautiful emails and visuals fast
• Free Plan Includes: Access to thousands of email templates and tools for campaign design and automation

We’ve jotted down a few reasons why it’s best for bloggers who are seeking automation:

• Thousands of professionally designed email templates for various occasions like seasonal updates, promotions, end-of-year newsletters, etc 
• Simplified campaign scheduling and performance tracking so you can see what’s working and what’s not
• Built-in AI Writer to help you craft subject lines saving you time – you can do much more in less time
• PosterMyWall offers merge tags for customized and personalized greetings and content tailored for individual readers
• A drag-and-drop editor that makes visual creation easy, even if you don’t have a degree in design

Pros:

• Seamless visual content creation
• Smooth email integration
• No learning curve required
• Free to use mostly and pay-per-download option available as well

Cons:

• Lacks some advanced automation options for complex workflow tasks

Comparative analysis

While all the tools we have talked about are useful in different ways, PosterMyWall is a platform that intelligently combines design and marketing in one tool in one place, something that bloggers often need. Basically, PosterMyWall makes it easy to give a professional impression without spending hours learning new tools.

You can use PosterMyWall’s one-click resize and content calendar tools to make your content look straight out of a design agency. So, start designing and sending emails with PosterMyWall to change the entire experience!